The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-05-11
cooPER,S WELLS.
The Famous Mississippi Health and
Pleasure Resort.

10 be permitted trip TO Cooper's Wells
Us indeed treat and worthy the trouble
and time of coming. l never thought
that though until | came myself
now, if my recommendation is worth
anything, | most cheerfully give it 10
this delightful place as the most charm
ing resort 10 be found in the chonntry.
In olden times if man dreamed
about anything remarkable he told his
wife about it; if he dreamed the same
thing twice there was apprehension, and
the third time it came to him he began
terrifying himself agains: something
sudden that was sure to hoppen. In
modern days, however, dreams don {
countfor much, and the more you dream
shout anythiDgs coming to pass the
less sure il Is to happen.
CooPER's WELLS BORN OF DREAM.
Rev. Preston Cooper, the founder of
this famous watering place, used to be
au itinerant preacher in the Nieksburg
district. When he began digging for
water at this spot, the idea of finding s.
mineral well was never entertained.
| One night, in his sleep, vision appeared
in the form of a familiar parsonage,
| commanding him TO continue his work
on the well. He thought the dream
nothing but the result of his continued
day thoughts-meantime werk had been
suspended. Then again the dream came.
| This time he employed labor and com
menced again. The effort was unsuc
cessful and work stopped once more.
| Two months elapsed and the same
dream appeared, more vivid than before,
and for several successive nights these
nocturnal occurrences came until Mr..
| Cooper was so impressed thst he resolved
| to go on excavating until he found wa
| ter. A strata of rock thirty feet in
thickness was met with, and the laborer
gave up the task as hopeless and alto
gether foolish one.
A year passed and once more the
dream was made. Then it was that Mr..
Cooper determined to bankrupt the COM
munity, if necessary, else carry out his
project. He dreamed that on Il certain
day water would be found. He commu
nicated this to his neighbors, who de-
clared he was suffering from a diseased
brain. Water, he said, would be had
on Friday. That day many of his friends
came to witness what they thought
would be disappointment to him. Not
evening the water was discovered at
depth of 101 feet. Mr.. Cooper's dream
was realized; and so on August 1, 1851,
Cooper's Wells were founded.
There existed no motive, pecuniary
or otherwise, to connect this well with
a miracle. Mr.. Cooper was an honest
and truthful man, and related his dreams
long before the we'll was completed to
L Il Il lrx-sF, Ill
died in Yazoo county, August ,, 1858,
but ne left a monument in the shape of
these wells that will last for ages.
During the lifetime of Mr.. Cooper
the place never amounted to much. He
had not the money to execute his de-
sires, nor had his friends enough conf
dence in the water TO assist HIM In his
plans. The wells were continually max
ing some remarkable cures; is virtues
became more widely known, and when
S. AND H. sPENGLER,
of Jackson, bought the place, two or
three years ago, there was a demand for
Just such men to have charge and push
1t as it legitimately deserved to be
pushed.
The first season under their regime
resulted successfully. In 1885 new build
ings had to be erected, improvements of
every description made, which were re-
quired around a, frst-class health and
pleasure resort. LAST season as many
visitors as could receive accommoda- |
tions were here, and to those whom |
have talked with about the place, spoke |
in the most complimentary terms of
every feature about it. Something over
1000 names were registered during the !
season, some for health, some for pleas
ure, and a great number of business
men from the Southern cities, who
sought this delightful retreat for rest
and recreation.
For a business man whose mind and
body is tired, and his energies relaxed
by constant confinement, this place in
vites YOU to come and regain them.
With such delectable scenery, invigora-
ting water and elegant cuisine mans
mind wanders away from business just
about as far as it can get. You are out
in the country, away from commerce,
where the wild flowers grow in prOfu
sion and the uncaged birds sing their
sweetest songs. The climate is delight
full in summer, and the cool bracing air
laden with the odor of the pine woods
and the clear cold water make it de |
lightful place. The hotel is situated on
a promontory 100 feet above the spring,
giving commanding view of the coun-
try for miles in each direction.
Tall hills and sharp buttes, with |
cloud-reaehing and moss covered pines |
lift their lordly heads up amongst the |
pictures until the blue air of heaven |
gathers them around in gauzy-like en- |
brace. Then the cool and bubhling |
springs, coming out in shady hooks, and |
the music of their ripping water as it |
courses down the rocky hill, mingled |
with the mournful signs of the pines, |
falls pleasantly on the ear of those !
from a heated city. There are billiard
leys and every innocent amusement is
afforded. In fact, all the adjuncts that
go to make health and pleasure resort
are here.
Grand preparations are being made TO
entertain a big crowd this summer
Merchants will come to cool their throb
bling temples, politicians TO evade the
excitement incident to their ayocation,
clerks will lay down their yardsticks
and prepare the body for the winter sea
son, and girls will come, too, to read
novels, wear Mother Hubbards and iirt
with the boys just like they do every
where else. They are irrepressible at
such places, but then, if watering
place can't have the reputation of max
ing two or three dozen engagements a
season, it amt much of place.
Country resorts are great institutions
You can always feel so
FREE AND EASY
about one. You can wear a shirt for
week, if it suits you, and if YOU want
your hair TO grow out you can do it and
never have a fellow say, "Chippee. get
your hair cut" There are no bootblacks
forever poking their boxes at your feet,
newsboys with paper that has terri
bic tragedy in it, or peddlers who want
to sell sure remedy for corns. The
clerk doesn't own the establishment, nor
does he think so, and he treats you with
civility. You can walk on the grass az
much as you want to, and as for hack
men (thank goodness for that they are
not here. You can just boiler and kick
up your heels as high as you can and do
whatever you list, and no body will tell
you to shut up" | wouldn'tswap a good
country watering place for dozen sea
side resorts with the girls in their strip
ed bathing suits thrown in.
The clerks at the hotel here are John
F. Willbanks and Herbert Spengler, Jr.
Fred Hartman, the steward, has charge
of the eating department. He was for
a long time steward of the steamer
Natchez, and his reputation is known
all over the South. A very wise selec-
ton it was when, his services were Sc
cured for this PLACE, for his name guar